Synthetic media is content produced or improved by AI tools, including deepfakes, AI-generated images, artificial voices, and full automatic video production. Although it is sometimes put in the spotlight for issues it raises, synthetic media also has great promise to transform how we tell and present stories in the digital age.
What Is Synthetic Media?
Synthetic media is what we get when we use AI and machine learning to create or change any kind of media. We have tools like GANs which allow artists to create very real looking digital avatars of humans, to play with voice and facial animation, and also to produce original music or write scripts. From AI-powered influencers to virtual news presenters, what used to be in the domain of science fiction is today a very much a part of our everyday media diet.
Unlocking New Dimensions of Creativity
Synthetic media is a transformative element that puts into the hands of the public tools for large-scale storytelling. This was reserved for professionals, and large investments are now available to the average person. A single creator may produce full-out scenes, characters, and voice-overs with the use of synthetic elements, which in turn is seeing independent filmmakers, educators, game designers, and marketers to break into new markets.
Synthetic media has brought into existence all new kinds of interactive and immersive experiences. Picture a personal video story that presents you with characters that use your name and react to what you do in the present moment. This degree of personalization, which we see in synthetic content, makes for more involved and dynamic forms of storytelling we have never seen before.
Bridging Language and Cultural Gaps
With the help of AI in language translation and voice synthesis, synthetic media is breaking down global barriers. We see a film in one language which is then dobled into many more with accurate lip sync and tone matching which in turn makes our stories available to a larger audience. Also, we have AI-generated avatars which present a range of ethnicities and cultures which in turn allows creators to put forth inclusive stories that play well across geographies.
Risks and Ethical Considerations
Despite the large scale of what it may achieve, synthetic media also brings up great ethical and practical issues. We see that the very same tools which put out very real-looking stories also is used for spreading info that is false, creating propaganda which is hard to tell from the real thing, or to put forward false information about public figures. As this synthetic content becomes more and passes for real media, trust in digital content may break down without we put in place the right protections.
Creators and platforms should put in place transparent and ethical practices which may include watermarking of AI-generated content and development of verification tools that can tell real from synthetic. Also, we must see to it that we educate and raise awareness in our audience’s which will in turn help them navigate the new media environment in a responsible way.
The Future of Storytelling
Synthetic media is a tool which does not replace human creativity but enhances it. We see writers, directors, and artists working with AI to present stories which until now were beyond the scope of what we could achieve in terms of budget, logistics, or out of the box thinking. As the technologies develop they will enable creators to break through at large in terms of what is possible in visual and narrative presentation.
At large synthetic media is a great transformation in which stories are told, shared, and experienced.
